Various types of linear lighting apparatuses exist in the lighting industry today. Many of the latest lighting apparatuses use-light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) as light sources. LEDs are individual point light sources that deliver a singular beam of light. Conventional linear lighting apparatuses that use LEDs are usually constructed for particular purposes. For example, the lighting apparatuses may be constructed for use on ceilings for lighting a room, for use within cabinets to illuminate the contents of a drawer or for use on an exterior wall for lighting a sign.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,361,186, for example, discloses a linear lighting apparatus using LEDs wherein the lighting apparatus is constructed generally for use on walls as commercial signage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,205 also discloses an LED-based linear lighting apparatus constructed generally for use on walls as signage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,393 discloses an LED linear lighting apparatus constructed generally for use as under-cabinet lighting for the home. Lastly, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0146531 discloses a linear lighting apparatus using LEDs wherein the lighting apparatus is constructed generally for lighting billboards or the façade of a building.
One of the problems with currently-available linear lighting apparatuses that use LEDs is the limitation on where the lighting apparatuses can be used. As explained above, most LED-based linear lighting apparatuses are built to illuminate areas of a home or building, portions of furniture such as cabinetry or simply a commercial advertisement. As such, conventional linear lighting apparatuses that use LEDs are set up to illuminate in the top-down direction or the side-to-side direction. No such LED-based linear lighting apparatuses, however, are available for lighting from the ground up. This is disadvantageous since there is a need to light floor and ground areas in such a way that illumination occurs in the bottom-up direction.
Another problem with conventional linear lighting apparatuses that use LEDs is the fragile construction of the lighting apparatuses. Since conventional linear lighting apparatuses are constructed for use in out-of-reach areas within the home or in areas that rarely come into contact with people or other objects, the housings are not built to handle heavy loads or robust strikes or jolts. This is disadvantageous as it limits the range of places where the lighting apparatuses can be used.
Therefore, there is a need to traverse the deficiencies in the art and more particularly there is a need for a more versatile and sturdy LED-based linear lighting apparatus that can be used in a wider variety of applications.